Leucadendron teretifolium (Andrews) I.Williams

Shrubs up to 1 m tall, usually less, dense, dark green, spreading, developing from a single stem at the ground. Branches short, slender, glabrescent, very thin and numerous in the male. Leaves in male plants 8 mm long, 1 mm broad, in female plants 2.2 cm long, 1.3 mm broad, in both sexes terete, acicular, mucronate, slightly flattened on the adaxial surface, in female plants falcate, deflexed and more crowded towards the head. Male inflorescence 1.4 cm long including the peduncle, 7 mm diam., solitary, terminal, spicate, pedunculate, numerous, with few florets arranged in 3 ascending spirals of up to 12 in each, giving off a very faint yeasty smell. Basal bracts 2 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, about 6 in number, lanceolate, acute, glabrous, ciliate, brown. Floral bracts 0.7 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, glabrous, thin and minutely ciliate above, swollen below. Floral bud 3.5 mm long, glabrous, yellow and swollen above. Perianth tube 0.7 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1.1 mm long, recurved 90°, sparsely pubescent. Limb 1.7 mm long, glabrous, concave, hooked. Anthers 1.2 mm long, curled upwards, connective dusky. Stigma abortive, 1 mm long, clavate, does not act as a pollen presenter. Style 2 mm long, filiform, glabrous. Hypogynous scales 0.5 mm long, pale. Nectar not seen. Pollen almost spherical, triporate, sides 23 µ long, polar depth 17 µ, falls in showers. Receptacle 1 cm long, 1.2 mm diam., narrowly cylindrical. Female inflorescence 2 cm long, including the peduncle, 1.2 cm diam., solitary, terminal, not hidden by the leaves, greenish. Basal bracts 1 cm long, 2 mm broad at the base, about 30 in number, clothing the peduncle, glabrous, long acute, ciliate and brown above, connate at the base in three spirals. Floral bract 2.2 mm long, 3.5 mm broad, broadly elliptic, glabrous, sparsely ciliate, connate at the base in three spirals. Floral bud 3 mm long, transversely compressed, glabrous above, pubescent in the middle. Perianth tube 1.6 mm long, pubescent, divided and glabrous below. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 45°, pubescent. Limb 1.2 mm long, glabrous, anterior flattened. Staminode 0.3 mm long, anterior absent. Ovary 0.6 mm long, subquadrangular, glabrous. Style 2 mm long, narrower below, glabrous. Stigma 1.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, lateral, cleft. Hypogynous scales 0.8 mm long, pale, flattened, tapered. Nectar not seen. Receptacle 1.8 cm long, 5 mm diam., cylindrical, conical at the apex. Mature female head a cone, up to 3.5 cm long, 2.4 cm diam., with glabrous connate retuse bracts. Fruit a samara, 6 mm long, 5 mm broad, compressed, flat, narrowly winged, emarginate, mottled, brown or almost black.